Purgatory
by syfygal
Summary: Team Arrow find themselves alone on the shores of Lian Yu with limited supplies & no memory of how they got there. Worse still, the A.R.G.U.S prison has been demolished & the local wildlife seems to be affected by a new strain of the Mirikuru drug. With no means of communication & a team member constantly getting into trouble, how can they possibly escape with their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**Author** **'s note:** So, this is my first multi-chapter Arrow story. While I have seen fiction works with a similar story line, I hope that it's different enough to appeal to fans. Constructive criticism is more than welcome - I like to know where I can improve my skills, so leave a review and let me know how I'm going.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow. This is just the writing equivalent to doodling and I promise to return all characters relatively unscathed.**_

 **Warnings:** This is a somewhat _violent_ story. If detailed descriptions of injuries and pain squeak you, this is your heads up. I will include some humor and fluff to balance the darkness but for the most part, the team will be in dangerous situations throughout the majority of the story.

 **Summary:** _Set early season 3 -_ Team Arrow find themselves alone on the shores of Lian Yu with limited supplies and no memory of how they got there. Worse still, the A.R.G.U.S super max prison has been demolished and the local wildlife seems to be affected by a new strain of the _Mirikuru_ drug. With no means of communication and a team member constantly getting into trouble, how can they possibly escape with their lives?

* * *

 **PURGATORY**

 **Chapter One**

As Oliver regained consciousness, blinking dazedly at the bright sunlight that invaded his vision, it only took him a few moments to realise something was _very_ wrong. Senses on high alert, he shot upright instantly, his stormy gaze sweeping the immediate area. Dirty sand stuck to his sweat-soaked shirt and his brow furrowed as he listened to the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

 _No. No, no, no, no,_ _ **no.**_

Jumping to his feet, loose sand scattered from his short hair as he whipped his head around, turning on the spot, trying and failing to convince himself that what he was seeing couldn't possibly be real. He recognised the distant shoreline almost immediately, a rugged cliff face plunging into the angry surf below and dense jungle in every direction - he was back on Lian Yu.

Of all the hell's he had been subject to over the course of five years, the memories he had of of this place were the worst. He relived the torture that was inflicted upon him here almost every night - but it wasn't just the physical pain that made his time in purgatory unforgettable, whenever he thought of the island, he thought of his father, of Shado and Slade and Sara - all of whom where lost to him forever.

He clenched his fists at his sides and stomped down the beach, bare feet digging into the hot sand. As furious as he was about being back on this God forsaken island, he was more angry at the fact that for the life of him, he couldn't remember how the hell he got here. He stared out at the ocean, losing himself for several moments; delving into his memories for _anything_ that would explain his presence here when something...not quite right, caught his attention. Just on this edge of his hearing, over the sound of the crashing waves. His name.

He turned on the spot, every line of his body taut as he went into defence mode. It couldn't be possible, and yet - approaching him at a jog across the beach, carrying a dark green pack over one shoulder, was John Diggle. As he drew nearer, Oliver could see the sweat beaded across his brow from the intense heat of the midday sun and he swore angrily, kicking the sand at his feet.

'What the hell, Diggle?' He growled as his best friend dropped the bag at his feet and bent over, resting his palms on his knees.

Panting, Diggle shook his head. 'You tell me, man. I woke up feeling like I drunk my weight in vodka with no _idea_ how I got here. No wallet, no phone - just the pack.'

Oliver swore again and headed back up the slight incline, to where he regained consciousness and found an identical pack, resting against a nearby tree. He tugged it open violently and began to rifle through the contents, when a horrible thought occurred to him, causing his stomach to drop.

The bag slipped from his grasp, spilling its contents as he turned to John, his sudden alarm causing the other man to frown. They met each others gaze; and as though they shared a psychic link, uttered the same name simultaneously.

' _Felicity_.'

Diggle shrugged his pack off and dumped it next to Oliver's, hands shaking at thought of their IT girl being stuck on this island with the pair of them. They both had the experience and the training for survival - but Felicity had only stepped onto Lian Yu twice, with a guaranteed escape both times.

Oliver cupped his hands over his mouth, took a breath and called her name - the volume of his voice startling birds in a nearby tree. As the flapping of their escape faded into the distance, they listened for a response...and heard nothing.

'Shit.' Diggle muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. 'You take the right and I'll go back to where I woke up and see if she's anywhere nearby.'

Oliver nodded sharply and took off at a jog down the beach, glancing over his shoulder briefly to see Diggle do the same. Of all the places in the fucking _world_ to dump them - it had to be here. The panic that clenched at his heart at the thought of his girl Wednesday being lost or hurt somewhere on the island urged him on, his eyes scanning the sand for any sign of the blonde. He crested the next dune and stopped short, heart pounding.

'DIG!' He yelled, leaning back as he half ran, half slid down the steep drop off. Wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless tank top, Felicity lay sprawled in the sand - her normally pale skin painfully red and shiny with sweat. Crashing to his knees by her prone form, he quickly assessed her for any injuries and pressed his fingers against her throat, relieved to find a pulse - even if it was too rapid for his liking. She had been out here too long; most of the exposed skin was burnt, the blistering across the top of her shoulders and the bridge of her nose being the worst, but Oliver was more concerned about the intense heat radiating beneath his hovering hand. He was about to call for Diggle again, when he appeared suddenly, dropping down next to them and resting a palm against her damp brow.

'She's too hot, man. We need to cool her off, _now_.'

Giving him a sharp nod, Oliver lifted her easily and cradled her against him as he raced into the surf. Once he was waist deep, he carefully lowered her into the cool water - cupping the back of her head gently so it didn't submerge completely.

'Felicity?' He called gently, brushing a wet hand across her flushed and blistered cheeks. A low moan parted her cracked lips and her lids fluttered slowly, revealing slivers of sky blue.

' 'liver?' She slurred, squinting against the bright sunlight.

'Yeah, it's me. How do you feel?' He asked softly, not even trying to hide his concern as Diggle approached them, clutching a bottle of water that he had pulled from one of the packs. He uncapped it and Oliver lifted her slightly so she could take a couple of mouthfuls.

'Terrible,' she replied with a groan as she clutched her stomach and screwed her eyes up in pain.

'Abdominal cramps,' Diggle supplied with a sigh. 'Probably a nasty bout of heat exhaustion - not to mention sun sickness. We need to get her somewhere cool and shady. Any ideas?'

Oliver nodded, bringing Felicity out of the water and close to his chest. The fuselage was in a dense region of the jungle, covered by a thick canopy that would keep the heat out of the air - but first, he needed to get his bearings so he didn't get them lost. He ran his eyes up and down the beach as they trekked back up the dunes and handed Felicity over to Diggle for a moment so he could shoulder the pack that was close to where he had found her.

'We can enter the forest where I woke up - it's about an hour and half walk inland, but it's fairly easy terrain,' Oliver explained, taking the blonde woman back and adjusting her in his arms so she would be more comfortable. Semi-conscious and not completely lucid, she moaned and tilted her head away from Oliver, throwing up weakly into the sand.

He winced and pressed his lips to the crown of her head as she closed her eyes against the brightness of the sun.

''m so tired...' she murmured sleepily as they backtracked across the sand as quickly as the extra weight allowed and pausing only for a moment so Diggle could collect the remaining bags, they begin their journey inland.

Oliver took point, his gaze always shifting - from the path in front to the dense canopy above and every once in a while, to Felicity. She was barely hanging on to consciousness, but every time his eyes met hers, she gave him a small smile as reassurance - that she was still with him, that this wasn't his fault. Every smile she gave him always said _something._

'Rest, Felicity.' He said eventually and she felt the heaviness and concern in his voice through his chest. Lifting the arm slung across her belly, she brushed her long fingers against the stubble on his cheeks. A gentle reminder, that despite _everything_ , she loved him and she would never stop. The simple touch made his breath hitch and a sudden wave of emotion engulfed him. The three of them were _put_ here, against their will and now his girl was sick and confused and he wanted to fucking _kill_ someone.

He must have made one of his angry noises, as Felicity so liked to call them - because her hand was moving to grip his shoulder, calming his fire in a way only she could. 'I don't...even know what's going on...' she said softly, her lids dropping as the darkness of sleep blanketed her mind. 'Whatever it is...we'll figure it out.'

Resting his brow against hers as she passed out, Oliver sighed. She always made him feel like a better man than he thought he was. Felicity has so much _faith_ in him and his crusade that it flipped his heart in a way no woman ever had.

'How she doing, Queen?' Diggle asked, catching them up and taking a small sip of water.

'She just passed out, but I think she'll be okay,' Oliver replied. 'Only a couple more miles to go.'

→ → → **ARROW← ← ←**

When Felicity woke, it felt like every inch of her was engulfed in flame. She whimpered and opening her eyes, she saw Diggle's concerned face hovering above her.

'Hey girl, how you doing?' He asked softly, tucking an errant curl of windswept blonde behind her ear.

'Too hot...burning.' She gasped, her tears stinging her blistered face.

He gave her a sad smile and gripped her hand. 'That's what happens when you go sunbathing without protection. Hang in there, Oliver will be back soon with something that should help.'

She nodded distractedly, taking in her surroundings with increasing panic. Even in the dim light and without her glasses, she knew where they were. She had only been here once, but the battered interior of the fuselage told her everything she needed to know. They were on the island; Oliver's personal hell for god only knows how long.

Losing herself to panic, it took her a while to notice that Diggle's soft brown eyes had been replaced with Oliver's stormy gray, and distant words telling her...

'Breathe, Felicity. Come on,' he urged, cupping her face gently as she gasped for oxygen. He had only just returned with and armful of aloe vera to see John attempt to pull Felicity out of the throes of a panic attack. He had dropped the plants immediately and rushed to her side, speaking gently as Diggle moved to accommodate him.

'Fel-ic-ity. Look at me,' He said firmly, though not unkindly. He gripped her wrists, rubbing the pads of his thumbs against her pulse and took a slow, deep breath. 'Breathe with me.'

Pressing one of her hands against his heart, he continued the exaggerated breaths as a pattern for her to follow until she slowly calmed.

'Why are we here?' Felicity asked roughly, her throat dry from thirst. 'I can't remember _anything!'_

'We can't either...we all woke up here with a pack each and no memory of how and why...' Oliver admitted, shuffling over to where he dropped the plants.

'So we're stuck on an Island in the middle of nowhere, that is both the home and prison for a very large and very _strong_ psychopath?' Felicity asked shrilly.

Oliver returned to her side, cracking the thick leaves until its white sap began to ooze from the splits.

'That just about sums it up,' he admitted with a weak smile as he squeezed the aloe over the worst of Felicity's burns. 'Don't worry, Dig and I will keep you safe.'

She rolled her eyes and sat up, ignoring the way the interior of the plane spun around her. It was clear to her that neither men had really considered _who_ had put them there. They were busy on the _how_ and _why_.

'I really _am_ the brains of this operation...not that I was implying you guys were _stupid_ or anything, I mean you're obviously intelligent men...oh my god... _focus_ Felicity!' She took a breath and counted to three, ignoring the smirk on Oliver's face. 'What I'm _trying_ to say is, how many people know where this island _is_ exactly? It's not like its a trade route or anything - we're in the middle of the North China Sea. So the question isn't how and why we got here, though I would really like to know that...it's _who_ the hell put us here...'

Oliver met Felicity's gaze, eyes widening at her unspoken implication. She was right, this couldn't be revenge - because the name of the island wasn't released to the press when he returned to Starling. Slade was already here, rotting in a maximum security cell...that left one probable answer.

'A.R.G.U.S.' Diggle growled, burying his face in his hands. 'Of course it's them! They needed something and we refused, so they pulled a drug and dump. That's why we can't remember anything - their tranq of choice? Pentobarbital. It causes memory problems and explains why we all felt like we went on a bender last night. Dammit, those bastards!'

Throughout Diggles rant, Felicity eyed Oliver with concern. The lines of his shoulders were tense with anger, his eyes cold with the realisation that they were put here against their will by a government agency. Why was starting to look like a good question now.

'Oliver?' Felicity called gently, reaching out to him and taking his hand. 'We'll figure this out. All we have to do is-'

She trailed off, her eyes squeezing shut as she listed sideways.

'Felicity? Shit - come on, stay with me,' Oliver begged, catching her mid slump and laying her back.

'She's probably feeling a helluva lot worse then we did. They left her out in direct sunlight for god knows how long...she's just fainted - trying to do too much at once. Let her rest, I guarantee she'll be fine in a couple of days.' Diggle assured him with a hand on his shoulder.

Oliver was half paying attention as he continued to treat her burns, anger and concern his dominant emotions. He didn't care why they had been left here. All he knew, was that when they got back to Starling City, and they _would,_ Amanda Waller was going to wish she had never pulled him off the island in the first place.

* * *

 **Well, there's chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for more fun times :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author** **'s note:** Thank you all for your positive reviews! I will try to update as often as possible so you're not left hanging. For those who are curious, this story is set in early to mid season 3 - probably just after Sara's death.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow. This is just the writing equivalent to doodling and I promise to return all characters relatively unscathed.**_

 **Warnings:** See chapter one - same warnings still apply.

* * *

 **PURGATORY**

 **Chapter Two**

The rest of the day passed quickly for the trio. Oliver kept a watchful eye on Felicity, who had regained consciousness a handful of times to take a drink, only to pass out again. Diggle had said it was to be expected with the combination of heat exhaustion and being drugged; her body was much smaller than theirs, so it would take more time for the pentobarbital to metabolise. It didn't make Oliver feel any better. He was anxious and wired, not to mention _furious,_ and it was driving his bodyguard insane.

Of course, John was just as concerned about Felicity's well being - he nearly had a god damn heart attack when he felt the heat radiating from her burnt skin - but she was OK, or she would be once she was rested and re-hydrated. So while Oliver was busy being a mite over protective, Diggle emptied the three bags and sorted through their contents meticulously.

Setting aside the abundance of protein bars to ration later, he separated the other items into piles according to their usefulness. Between the three of the packs, he managed to compile a pretty decent first aid kit complete with several doses of morphine and some suture kits (which he hoped wouldn't be needed). At the moment, it was the most precious of their commodities - so that had started his 'most useful' pile. Next were the thermal sleeping bags, vacuum sealed in plastic to save space, and the spare change of clothes for each of them. They also had a compass, three bowie knives, a five metre coil of rope and a box of tampons - which he quickly tossed into the most useful pile. There were a few other odds and ends, but for the most part they would have to survive off the land. He had no doubts that Oliver would have that covered.

Looking up from his task, Diggle rolled his eyes as he watched Oliver stalk back and forth across the length of the fuselage like a caged tiger, frustration rolling off him in waves.

'It's getting dark, maybe you should go and collect some firewood,' he suggested, not missing the glare that Oliver shot his way. The look, which Felicity would have described as "growly" told him that the young man wouldn't be leaving her side for some time. 'Fine, how about _I_ go and collect some firewood?'

Anything to escape the restless energy that Oliver exuded and tempted Diggle to suggest he sit the _fuck_ down.

As he exited their home away from home, the young man let his shoulders slump as he blew out a sigh. This was not an ideal situation for any of them, but he had to keep his head in order to get them all through _whatever_ the hell this was. Crouching by Felicity and pressing a calloused palm against her brow, he was pleased to note that her temperature had reduced drastically and she was no longer sweating buckets. She moaned and leaned into the touch, her eyes flickering open to meet his.

'Hey there,' he greeted with a soft smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges in a way that always made Felicity's heart flutter. She returned the smile and managed to sit up slightly, using the wall of the fuselage to hold her.

'Hey yourself,' she replied, wincing as her muscles protested against the movement. 'How long have I been out?'

He handed her a bottle of water, still left over from the stash he brought last time. 'Most of the day. Drink slowly - you're probably still a bit dehydrated and you don't want to throw it back up again.' Oliver said, relieved that she was finally awake and recovering.

Nodding, she took a couple of small sips before handing the bottle back. 'So,' she began, wringing her hands anxiously in her lap. He covered them with his larger hands and brushed his thumb against her knuckles to stop her fidgeting. She looked away, seemingly interested in a climbing vine that had made the interior of the damaged plane its home.

'Felicity, what's on your mind?' He asked as she blew out a shaky sigh and turned back to him.

'We're on Lian Yu, with no memory of how we got here. How could Waller do that to you? After everything you've been through here? I want...when we get home...oooh I am _so_ going to hack into their computers and sabotage their systems. Possibly with an untraceable trojan virus...'

Oliver allowed himself to chuckle. The way her eyebrows drew together and her nose scrunched up when she was angry; more specifically, angry for _him._ Even though this situation was unfair on all of them, selfless and compassionate Felicity, in her quiet and utterly adorable rage, was worried about how it could affect him. He wasn't quite aware of when exactly Felicity had wormed herself into his heart and found a nice big corner to curl up in, it may have been when he took Deadshot's laptop to her, riddled with bullet holes and a lame excuse that had her eyebrow quirked in stunned disbelief. She was so _different_ to the many other women who had come and gone from his life - so vibrant and honest and beautiful in a way that neither of the Lance sisters could be.

Shaking his head, he compartmentalised those intense emotions to be dealt with at a later date and focused his attention back to Felicity, who was, unsurprisingly, still rambling about the injustice of their situation.

'...It's like _mission rape_ ,' she was saying, her hands waving about as she spoke. 'I mean, we probably said no to whatever they asked as to do, otherwise we would have remembered coming here, but they drugged us and shipped us off anyway. Did they drop us off a plane or did they keep us drugged for days on a boat? Oliver, I am going to _ruin_ them for this! That _woman_...she's...oooh, she's a _fucking bitch_!'

Oliver nearly choked. Felicity wasn't one for foul language; she was patient and usually opted for made up profanities like frack, wherever the hell that came from. He was still staring at her when Diggle returned with an armful of wood.

'What's going on?' He asked with a smirk at Oliver's look of disbelief.

'Oh, I just had some words to say about our friend at A.R.G.U.S. I don't think Oliver was expecting my choice of language.' Felicity explained. 'Do we have food? I'm hungry.'

John laughed and tossed her a protein bar, which she glared at distastefully. John cocked an eyebrow a she tore the packaging with a grumble.

'Sorry girl, I couldn't find the local Big Belly Burger. It's all we have for now - we should be thankful that Waller at least had the heart to give us those.'

Felicity snorted and nibbled at the bar slowly, her brows still drawn together as she chewed carefully. 'I'm not thanking _her_ for anything. Her brainless minions left us in the sun to roast, and you two were lucky to come out medium rare.' She ran her fingers across the blisters on her cheeks and her eyes darkened.. 'I smell like a pork roast...I even have the crackle to go with it.'

Oliver couldn't help it. He let out a bark of laughter as he reached for another leaf of aloe vera, cracking it easily. 'Only you Felicity, would compare yourself to a Sunday dinner.' He chortled, eyes twinkling with mirth. This genius was possibly the only woman on the planet that could make him smile in a way the old Oliver Queen never could.

She offered him a bright smile and leaned back, allowing Oliver the smear the pleasant smelling sap across the bridge of her nose. 'Don't worry,' he added, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple. 'I love pork roasts.'

Flushing, she slapped his chest lightly but her grin widened nonetheless. There's always that one hypothetical question he was asked constantly when he returned to Starling City after being a ghost for five years: "If you could have had anything on the island the time you were there, what would it be?"

He never answered, but he supposed now - looking at Felicity's broad smile and Diggle's raised brow, it would've been them.

His girl and his best friend.

→ → → **ARROW** ← ← ←

Very soon, as though their conversation had been beyond exhausting, Felicity was asleep again - the light of the fire dancing across her pale features. Oliver sighed and met John's gaze as he rationed out the bars and continued to organise the contents of their bags.

'I can't believe they dragged you two into this.' Oliver whispered darkly, his brow furrowed as he watched Felicity sleep.

'I can't believe they dragged _all of us_ into this...and for what?' Diggle replied.

Mumbling quietly, Felicity burrowed further into her sleeping bag, a curl of blonde falling across her cheek. Oliver itched to brush it away and tuck it behind her ear - because that was all he _could_ do. If A.R.G.U.S wanted them on the island to complete a mission, they wouldn't be allowed to leave until it was finished.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of life in the jungle around them until a frightened whimper brought their attention back to the sleeping IT girl. She was frowning, her hands clutching the edge of the sleeping bag until her knuckles were white.

'Felicity?' Oliver called gently, reaching across and shaking her leg.

She shot up, breathing heavily and running a hand through her salt matted hair.

'I just thought of something...we're all idiots! We should _know_ why Waller sent us here. It's so obvious!' She rushed, her hands trembling visibly in the dim orange light.

'Felicity...'

She turned her gaze first to Diggle, then to Oliver - and she was terrified, but not for herself.

'What did A.R.G.U.S put on this island, to keep people of Starling safe? _Who_ did they put on this island?'

Oliver just stared at her, his brain ticking over until he caught on to her realisation.

'Slade,' he growled.

'What if he got out, Oliver? What if he's out there _right_ _now_ , watching us?'

Diggle scrubbed a hand across his stubbled jaw with sigh. 'Why would it matter if he got out of the cell? Fact remains, he's on a deserted island with now means of escape! Why send us here? What the hell can we do about it?'

'More to the point,' Felicity added, composing herself. She would not break down now - not after everything they'd survived. 'Why put _me_ here? Oh that sounded really selfish. Sorry. What I mean to say is, I'm pretty much useless without something to hack. What am I here for? To _charm_ Slade back into his cell?'

Oliver growled, his jaw clenched in fury at the sudden thought that dashed through his mind.

'You're the collateral.' He hissed, balling his hands into fists and shoving them under his armpits so he didn't _punch_ something.

'I'm _what_ now?'

'I see where you're taking this...but seriously? Would they do that? Never mind, of course they would...' Diggle trailed off, glancing at the blonde girl who absolutely should _not_ be there.

'Hello? I'm right here! Can you stop with the glaring and the manly muscle flexing and tell me _how I'm collateral!_ ' She demanded angrily.

Oliver stood and moved to her side, crouching by her as she sat up completely.

'Don't be afraid, Dig and I will make sure you're safe,' he assured, trying to divert her attention - but it wasn't working.

'Don't change the subject Queen - and I'm not afraid!' She insisted, not missing the pain in the stormy depths of his eyes.

'You should be, Felicity. I am. Think about it. If it were just Dig and I here and we knew what Waller was up to - would we play along?'

Felicity shook her head.

'Exactly. You're here to make sure we _do as we're told._ You're here so we have no choice but to eliminate the threat...because you're the one who foiled his plan...you are his way to hurt me the most!'

There it was again - he had the same look in his eyes when they set the trap for Slade.

 _He took the wrong woman..._

That look of grief and fear and possibly something _else_ that made Felicity think they could be happy together. That she could be his _girl_ -girl.

He brushed his lips against her temple and gave her a sad smile.

'I can't lose you and they _know_ that. They're using you to make us do as we're told.'

'You're not going to lose me.' Felicity assured, tapping his nose with a lopsided grin. 'And when we get back to Starling, A.R.G.U.S is going down.'

And hell, she meant it.

* * *

 **There is chapter two! So they've figured out the who and the why, now its time to get into it. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, these things write themselves so I guess it'll finish when it needs to. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**


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